(Newser)
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Suspected Islamic extremists from Somalia hijacked a bus in Kenya's north and killed 28 non-Muslims on board, police officials said today. The bus traveling to the capital Nairobi with 60 passengers was hijacked at dawn 30 miles from the town of Mandera near Kenya's border with Somalia. About 20 gunmen ordered all the passengers out of the bus and separated those who appeared to be non-Muslims from the rest and shot them at close range, the officers said. The attack is suspected to have been carried out by al-Shabab militant rebels.

Some of the dead were public servants who were heading to Nairobi for Christmas vacation, the officers said. The gunmen picked their victims after making passengers read from the Koran, reports the BBC. Kenya has been hit by a series of gun and bomb attacks blamed on al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, since it sent troops into Somalia in October 2011. Authorities say there have been at least 135 attacks by al-Shabab since then, including the assault on Nairobi's upscale Westgate Mall in September 2013 in which 67 people were killed.

This must be the newer, softer terrorism. They actually discriminated in choosing their victims.

JoeQ

Nov 22, 2014 11:44 AM CST

Mandera sits right on the border of Kenya and Somalia. That's pretty dangerous for a westerner. I was in Isiolo once at the T-intersection to Mandera, which is much further inside Kenya, and my spider sense was tingling pretty good.

Spudsy

Nov 22, 2014 10:11 AM CST

Look here American christians. Shooting christians on their way to Christmas vacation IS persecution. Whining about someone saying "Happy Holidays" is not. Now turn off Fox News and get a life here in the real world.